Abortion

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Northover on 9 January (HL Deb, col 209), whether they have examined their position that United Kingdom-funded medical care “may” include the provision of abortion to women raped in conflict if it is medically necessary against the terms of their obligations under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Protocols.

Baroness Northover: The UK position has not changed. In conflict situations where denial of abortion in accordance with a national law prohibition would threaten the woman’s or girl’s life or cause unbearable suffering, international humanitarian law principles may justify offering an abortion rather than perpetuating what amounts to inhumane treatment in the form of an act of cruel treatment or torture. Clearly this will depend on the woman’s choice, her condition and the safety and security of the humanitarian staff, as well as other contextual factors.

Abortion

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made as a result of their representations to the government of the United States about that government’s foreign aid policy preventing abortion being available to rape survivors.

Baroness Northover: DFID officials are in regular, continuing and constructive dialogue with both USAID and US-based international non-governmental organisations with regard to improving access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights, which includes reducing recourse to unsafe abortion and improving access to safe abortion services.

Afghanistan: Women and Girls

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the £47 million provided to the Afghan Ministry of Education will be used specifically to support girls' education, including through improving security and protection for both girls attending school and their women teachers.

Baroness Northover: All £47 million allocated to Afghanistan through DFID’s Girls’ Education Challenge Fund will be used specifically to support girls’ education. This includes using new and effective ways to expand education access and opportunities for marginalised girls in rural and less secure areas.

Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 18 November (WA 127), whether they intend to appeal the decision of the European Food Safety Authority to allow genetically modified soya beans to be marketed by Monsanto in the European Union.

Earl Howe: The decision to authorise this genetically modified soya for food and feed use in the European Union was made by the European Commission on the basis of a safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and after consulting the member states. As set out in my reply of 18 November, Official Report, column WA 127, the Government has a strong interest in the science-based system underpinning such authorisations. This position will be reflected in any observations that we submit to the European Court regarding the case.

Alcohol

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to revise the current NHS alcohol unit guidelines.

Earl Howe: As set out in the Government Alcohol Strategy, the Department has commissioned a review to look at the current drinking guidelines for adults. This is a United Kingdom-wide review, led by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies.
	The CMO has appointed two expert groups to review the evidence on alcohol and health risks and on behaviour and guidelines, under the chairmanship respectively of Professor Mark Petticrew and Professor Sally Macintyre. The CMOs for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will jointly oversee this work. We expect the review of evidence to conclude in January 2014.
	Professor Dame Sally Davies and the other CMOs in the UK will then decide whether to develop new guidelines, which would take six months. We would expect to consult on any new guidelines.

Apprenticeships

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many apprenticeship vacancies are available in (1) the United Kingdom as a whole, (2) England, (3) Wales, (4) Scotland, and (5) Northern Ireland, for the last 12-month period.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The National Apprenticeship Service has advertised 135,200 vacancies in England over the last 12 months to October 2013.
	Figures are based on employers who advertise their vacancies to the public using the Apprenticeship Vacancies website and so do not provide a comprehensive picture of all Apprenticeship opportunities. In addition, many employers advertise independently or put existing staff through an Apprenticeship where they move into a new role as part of their career development and training.
	Apprenticeships are a devolved matter therefore data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not available.

Apprenticeships

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people applied for apprenticeships in (1) the United Kingdom as a whole, (2) England, (3) Wales, (4) Scotland, and (5) Northern Ireland, for the last 12-month period.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Over the last 12 months (to October 2013) the National Apprenticeship Service has advertised 135,200 vacancies in England with over 1.5 million applications being made to those vacancies.
	These figures are based on employers who advertise their vacancies on the National Apprenticeship Vacancy system and so do not provide a comprehensive picture of all Apprenticeship opportunities. In addition many employers advertise Apprenticeship vacancies independently or put existing staff through an Apprenticeship where they move into a new role.
	Apprenticeships are a devolved matter for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, therefore we are unable to provide the requested information.

Apprenticeships

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the number of vacancies for apprenticeships matches the number of people seeking them.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Apprenticeships are jobs with high quality training. The number of Apprenticeship vacancies is determined by the number of employers offering them.
	We are committed to increasing the number of Apprenticeships offered by employers through investing almost £1.5bn in Apprenticeship training this year; improving quality across the programme to better meet employer needs;
	The Apprenticeship Reform Implementation Plan, published in October, set out our long term plan for growing the number of Apprenticeships offered by employers by putting employers in the driving seat and giving them the opportunity to lead the way in developing and implementing new Apprenticeships in their sectors.

Apprenticeships

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to raise public awareness of apprenticeships as an alternative to a university degree course and as an alternative route to establishing a career.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Apprenticeships offer the ideal opportunity for ambitious young people to train while earning a wage. The National Apprenticeship Service works through a wide range of partners to promote Apprenticeships in schools.
	Schools are now required to secure independent and impartial careers guidance on apprenticeships for pupils aged 11-18. The National Careers Service also provides advice on the benefits of Apprenticeships and how to apply for vacancies. We promote wider awareness of Apprenticeships through the annual Apprenticeship Week, the Skills Show and National Apprenticeship Awards. We have also made changes to Higher Apprenticeships, providing a clear work-based progression pathway into Higher Education and professional careers.

Broadcasting: Digital Radio

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to revive the memorandum of understanding relating to the funding of the nationwide network of digital radio transmitters.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on local DAB funding for switchover with the BBC, Ofcom, Arqiva and commercial multiplex operators in July 2012. We intend to provide an update on our plans for digital radio at the end of the year.

Burma

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made specific representations to the government of Burma about ending the quota of military members in the Burmese Parliament; and, if so, what responses they have received.

Baroness Warsi: We continue to lobby regularly and publicly on the need for reform of Burma’s constitution on a number of issues, including the role of the military in the executive and legislature, the rights of Burma’s ethnic groups, and the clause that prohibits any individual with foreign family members from becoming President.
	The Prime Minister my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised the Burmese constitution with President Thein Sein when he visited London in July 2013. The President acknowledged the need for change, and pointed to the work of the parliamentary committee set up to review the constitution. Recently, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire)
	discussed the need for constitutional change with Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw and with Minister in the President’s Office Tin Naing Thein. Our Embassy in Rangoon continues to lobby on constitutional reform with the President’s office, Ministers and officials in the Burmese government and members of the ruling party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Business Angel Co-investment Fund

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the geographic distribution of investments made by the Business Angel Co-investment Fund.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Funding for the Angel CoFund programme is not invested on a regional basis, but is distributed according to demand from business angels and eligible high growth companies. The geographic distribution of investment by value to November 2013 is:
	• East England – 8.4%• West Midlands – 6.6%• South West – 14.1%• North West – 1.7%• Yorkshire and the Humber – 1.9%• South East – 16.8%• Greater London – 40.5%• East Midlands – 3.7%• North East – 6.2%
	From Q3 2013 the CoFund was extended to be able to invest throughout the UK.

Cambodia

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Cambodia regarding the trial and sentencing of Yorm Bopha.

Baroness Warsi: On Friday 22 November the Cambodian Supreme Court freed human rights activist Yorm Bopha on bail. Her case will now be heard by the Appeal Court. Our Ambassador in Phnom Penh raises human rights issues with senior Cambodian Ministers regularly, including both the wider issue of land reform as well as the need to ensure that the rule of law is applied proportionately in response to protests.

Cyclists: Safety

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are promoting the safety of cyclists.

Baroness Kramer: As more and more people take up cycling we are absolutely determined to improve their safety. That is why we have made significant investment in cycling, investing almost double that spent in the last five years of the previous administration. We have particularly focused on making it safer and easier for people to cycle by: improving links between cycle networks; making safety improvements at junctions; and providing major investment in cycling in 8 cities across the country, to create a step change in cycling provision in those places. We have also continued to support Bikeability cycle training for children.
	The Government, through the reduction of bureaucracy and supporting changes in regulations, has made it easier for local authorities to implement 20 mph zones, ‘Trixi’ mirrors and highway measures to support cycle safety. In addition, we are working with local authorities and Transport for London on trialling innovative schemes to improve cycle safety at junctions; as well as supporting the European Union to improve lorry design standards.
	This said, the past few weeks have shown there is absolutely no room for complacency. We have to continue working with our partners and continue delivering the investment. We must focus on key areas of threat to continue raising safety standards for cyclists.
	That is something we are committed to as a government.

Education: Citizenship

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that children are sufficiently educated about human rights when the amended secondary school curriculum comes into force next academic year.

Lord Nash: The new national curriculum, which will be taught from September 2014, includes an improved programme of study for citizenship education at key stages 3 and 4. Citizenship teaching should develop pupils’ understanding of democracy, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The key stage 4 programme of study requires schools to teach pupils about human rights and international law.

Employees: Shareholders

Lord Mitchell: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have applied to have employee shareholder status.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The new employment status of employee shareholder came into effect on 1 September 2013. It is a voluntary option that employers may wish to consider using.
	Companies are not obliged to tell Government what type of employment contract they offer people and neither companies nor individuals are required to ‘apply’ to Government if they intend to use this measure. Therefore, details of the number of companies offering employee shareholder status, or the number of employee shareholders are not available from Government.
	Those thinking of using the new status may seek advice from a number of different sources such as their legal contacts, or a helpline or business organisation and there is no requirement on any company wishing to offer an employee shareholder contract to notify any Government department or agency in advance.

Employment: 18-24 Year-olds

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 16 to 24 year-olds who are no longer classified as Not in Employment, Education or Training have (1) gone into further or higher education, or (2) participated in apprenticeships.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Information is not directly captured in Further Education or Higher Education data systems about whether a person was Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) before their learning started and we currently do not have a reliable method to measure NEET from information we do collect. However, we do publish information on Benefit Learners in FE in Table A15 available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207952/further-education-for-benefit-claimants.xls

EU: Competencies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the course of their review of European Union competencies, they have given any consideration to delimiting those policy areas in which the European Union has no competency; and, if so, what are those policy areas.

Baroness Warsi: The review of the balance of competences is looking at the scope of the EU’s competences as they affect the UK. In particular, it is looking at where EU competences lie, how they are used, and what that means for Britain and our national interest. For the purposes of the review, we are using a
	broad definition of competence: put simply, competence is everything deriving from EU law that affects what happens in the UK. That means examining all the areas where EU Treaties give the EU competence to act, including the provisions in the Treaties giving the EU institutions the power to legislate, to adopt non-legislative acts, or to take any other sort of action. But it will also explore areas where the Treaties apply directly to member states, without needing any further action by the EU institutions. The review comprises 32 reports divided into four tranches with the full breakdown available at www.gov.uk/review-of-the-balance-of-competences. Once complete, it will provide the most extensive analysis of the impact of EU membership on the UK ever undertaken. This includes in those areas, such as health, foreign policy and taxation examined in the first tranche of reports, where the EU’s role is primarily limited to supporting Member States.

EU: Intelligence

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the comments made by Viviane Reding in the Greek newspaper Naftemporiki on 4 November regarding the creation of a European Union intelligence service; and whether the European Commission and member states were consulted in advance of her interview.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Government agrees with the position as set out in the Treaty of the European Union that national security is the sole responsibility of Member States and that intelligence therefore remains a matter for national governments, not the European Union.
	We do not hold information on whether or not the European Commission and other member states were consulted. The UK Government was not consulted.

EU: Research and Innovation

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they intend to provide to (1) United Kingdom institutes of higher education, and (2) the United Kingdom private sector, to apply for European Union funds for research and innovation to further the European Union’s objectives for overseas development.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Brussels-based United Kingdom Research Office (UKRO) provide support to help higher education institutes and businesses access European Union research and innovation funding, which through Horizon 2020
	is more directed towards societal challenges, although projects funded may well support overseas development objectives.
	Much of this support will be provided by a network of National Contact Points, with information and advice also provided by a TSB-hosted national Horizon 2020 website and helpline. Additionally, UKRO provides support to its subscribing organisations (mainly UK universities) on all aspects of Horizon 2020 and related activities, including, for example, providing information and advice on how to participate in the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).

EU: Research and Innovation

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their science officers have met (1) the European Union’s Chief Scientific Adviser, and (2) officials from the Directorate General for Research and Innovation, to discuss support for research and innovation in Africa and collaboration between the United Kingdom and European Union institutions within the public and private sector and their African counterparts.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The DFID independent Research Advisory Group (RAG) chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz held its 10th RAG meeting at the European Commission on 21st November 2013, with senior EC officials from DGs DEVCO and Research and Innovation. The objective of the meeting was to gain a better understanding of each other's efforts in support of science and research for International Development. The DFID Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser attended this meeting as well as senior members of the EU Chief Scientific Adviser’s Office.
	Since 2012, FCO & BIS have increased HMG Science & Innovation Network (SIN) presence in Africa, with two officers now in South Africa and one in Nigeria. This reflects recognition of growing UK S&I partnership opportunities with African countries. As part of their normal work, officers from the SIN have had a number of contacts with counterparts from the Directorate General for Research and Innovation and discussed support for research and innovation in Africa and collaboration between the UK and EU institutions within the public and private sector and their African counterparts.
	Defra officials and officials from DG Research and Innovation are active participants in the Group on Earth Observations (GEO); a global political movement to coordinate international Earth Observation effort. GEO has launched the AfriGEOSS initiative, which aims to coordinate and improve capacity for Earth Observation activities in Africa.
	Dr Andrée Carter, Director of the UK Collaborative on Development Services, will represent the UK at the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on science and technology on 28-29th November 2013 in Brussels. The EU-Africa HLPD is preparatory to the EU-Africa summit in April 2014.
	No other meetings between Chief Scientific Advisers and the EU CSA or DG officials have discussed support for research and innovation in Africa.

Firearms

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy in respect of the carriage of working firearms by members of the public in their personal baggage on commercial flights.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The carriage of firearms on commercial flights by members of the public is a matter for individual airlines.
	All firearms and ammunition are restricted under UK law and can only be carried by a member of the public who holds the appropriate certification and documentation.

Fluoridation

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with research recommendation 5.2.9 from in the Medical Research Council report ‘Water fluoridation and health' in 2002 in respect of an updated analysis of data on fluoridation and cancer rates, and of exposure to fluoride as a possible risk factor for osteosarcoma.

Earl Howe: Public Health England is currently working towards publishing a first report on the health effects of fluoridation by mid-March 2014, as required by legislation. This will be a publicly available document. Further reports will follow within four-yearly time periods in accordance with the timetable prescribed in legislation. This report will analyse the overall incidence of cancer, including specifically that of osteosarcoma, in relation to residence within a fluoridated area, taking into account confounding variables.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including water fluoridation. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the closure of Gaza’s power plant.

Baroness Warsi: The Minister of State, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), made representations on the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation
	in Gaza to the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister and discussed it with the Palestinian President and Foreign Minister during his recent visit to the region. Representations were also made by senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials to their Israeli counterparts during the UK-Israel Strategic Dialogue on 18 November.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current dangers to health in Gaza from sewage flooding as a result of the lack of electricity in that region.

Baroness Northover: We are very concerned by a recent report from the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicating that 35,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage was released into the streets of Gaza last week. 291 water and sewage facilities have been severely affected by fuel shortages, and six sewage pumping stations are currently at risk of a similar overflow. According to the World Health Organisation, risks associated with exposure to untreated sewage can include diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis A. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest information they have received about the plans for the occupants of Gaza in the final status negotiations.

Baroness Warsi: It is not for the British Government to comment on what is currently being discussed in the Israel-Palestinian negotiations.
	When the US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the resumption of peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians on 29 July, he confirmed both sides’ agreement that the negotiations would cover all final status issues and that they would keep the details of the ongoing negotiations confidential with Secretary Kerry the only person authorised to comment publicly on the talks.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of drone surveillance on the civilian population in Gaza.

Baroness Warsi: We have carried out no assessment of the effect of drone surveillance on the population in Gaza.

Health: Human Papilloma Virus

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there has been any research conducted in England or Wales to estimate the human papilloma virus prevalence in young women prior to vaccination in order to monitor the future vaccine impact, as has been done in Scotland.

Earl Howe: Public Health England, and its predecessor organisation, the Health Protection Agency, has been monitoring the prevalence of type-specific genital human papilloma virus (HPV) infections in young women in England through surveys that use opportunistic sources of residual clinical specimens. The first survey was completed in 2008, prior to the widespread introduction of the HPV vaccine. In order to assess the impact of the vaccination programme in England, we have compared this baseline estimate of prevalence of HPV infection in 2008 with the prevalence following widespread immunisation. The first results of this study will be available very soon and will be published in the journal Vaccine.

Health: Mitochondrial Disease

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 30 October (WA 259) and by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 November (WA 113), on what basis they asserted that a particular process is not genetic modification when no definition of “genetic modification” is universally accepted.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 4 November (WA 13) and by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 November (WA 113), whether they would consider alterations involving removal or addition of nuclear DNA to constitute genetic modification; if so, what proportion of the DNA in a nucleus could be removed from a cell or added to it without entailing genetic modification; or if not, whether they can comprehensively list all artificial alterations that they recognise as genetic modification.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the written answers I gave on 29 August Official Report, column WA 359 and 30 October Official Report, column WA 259 for the basis of the Government's view that mitochondrial donation techniques do not constitute genetic modification. On the question of what activity might constitute genetic modification of the nuclear DNA, I have nothing to add the answer given to the noble Lord by Viscount Younger of Leckie, on 12 November Official Report, col. WA113.

Health: Ophthalmology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to guarantee the quality of eye care services in the United Kingdom; and whether they have plans to create a post for a national clinical director for eye care provision to oversee services.

Earl Howe: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2013, commissioning of eye care services is the responsibility of NHS England and clinical commissioning groups. The reforms are intended to support clinically led commissioning and promotion of greater service integration to provide a base to secure improved health outcomes.
	NHS England is also responsible for the appointment of national clinical directors. NHS England has advised that its approach to determining which areas to recruit National Clinical Directors has been guided by the objectives set for it in the Mandate, in line with the ethos of the NHS Outcomes Framework and a desire to provide clinical leadership across a broad range of fronts, focusing more on people and patient pathways than specific conditions. We understand that they have no current plans for further National Clinical Director appointments.

Health: Whistleblowers

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of responses to and support for whistleblowers in public health settings.

Earl Howe: There has been no assessment of whistleblowing specifically in a public health setting. This Government expects all National Health Service and social care organisations to have in place whistleblowing policies that are compliant with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) and organisations should support staff who wish to raise concerns.
	A number of steps have already been taken to improve rights and protections for whistleblowers, ultimately designed to provide greater support. A contractual right to raise concerns has been implemented. A strengthened NHS constitution has been published, which now includes an expectation that staff will raise concerns and a pledge that they will be acted upon. Changes have also been made to PIDA to ensure protections for all NHS staff.
	The appointment of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Chief Inspector of Social Care, will ensure not only that organisations are complying with the law and putting policies into place; but also that the culture of organisations actively promote the benefits of openness and transparency.
	The Department also funds a freephone helpline, offering free, independent and confidential advice to staff about raising concerns, along with free guidance to employers wishing to know more about embedding best practice in their organisations.
	We continue to explore options for further measures to support whistleblowers in health and care settings.

Homeless Families

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the increase in the number of households that are homeless or in temporary accommodation since May 2010.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: To assist the noble Baroness and to place the figures in context, I have listed below statistics for the last ten years.
	
		
			  Homelessness acceptances during the year Number of households in temporary accommodation as at 30 June 
			 2003 135,590 91,870 
			 2004 127,760 99,530 
			 2005 100,170 100,970 
			 2006 76,860 93,910 
			 2007 64,970 84,900 
			 2008 57,510 74,690 
			 2009 41,780 60,230 
			 2010 42,390 50,400 
			 2011 48,510 48,330 
			 2012 53,450 51,640 
			 2013 .. 56.210 
		
	
	.. = not yet available
	This Government has retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current Spending Review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. We are seeing this investment making an impact with homeless families now spending 6 months less in temporary accommodation than since the start of 2010.
	We have also made some changes to the rules under the Localism Act to enable local authorities to help households move more quickly into a settled home. This means households will no longer need to be placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for social housing to become available.
	In addition, the law is clear that families with children must only be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation as a last resort and then for no more than 6 weeks.
	We publish local data and have provided £2 million for seven councils struggling with increasing B&B use so that they can reduce numbers and develop long lasting solutions to this problem. In light of this, for example, latest statistics show that Westminster and Croydon Councils had no families with children in B&Bs beyond 6 weeks as at 30 June and this is down from 95 and 49 families respectively as at 31 March this year. We have also provided £1.9 million for local authorities to adopt Gold Standard housing solutions for vulnerable people which have already proved successful in other Local Authorities areas.

Human Trafficking

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial support they have provided in each year since 2009 to support programmes overseas to tackle human trafficking.

Baroness Northover: DFID works to tackle the underlying factors which put people at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking, such as poverty, lack of education, lack of economic opportunities, vulnerability to economic shocks and social exclusion. An example of a DFID supported programme to combat trafficking is a programme launched with the International Labour Organisation in July to help prevent trafficking of girls and women from South Asia to the Middle East to work in the domestic work and garment-manufacturing sectors. DFID’s Civil Society Challenge Fund has also supported anti-trafficking projects. An example of support in the recent past was a project to combat child trafficking in Malawi run by the Salvation Army.
	Information about the value of financial support provided each year since 2009 to support programmes overseas to tackle human trafficking is not currently centrally available.

Human Trafficking

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to withhold overseas development aid to countries that do not comply with minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking or whose governments are not making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with such standards.

Baroness Northover: There are no plans to do so.

Hungary

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of proposals for the Hungarian state to exercise a protective function for ethnic Hungarian minorities living beyond the borders of Hungary; and how they compare with established models for autonomy such as in South Tyrol.

Baroness Warsi: The Hungarian government has not made any proposals to exercise a protectorate function for ethnic Hungarian minorities living outside Hungary.

Immigration

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are providing for local services in areas affected by high immigration; and what provision is made for the immediate needs of migrants in those areas.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Government shares wider concerns about the need to alleviate pressures on local services arising from migration. That is why we have reformed the immigration system
	to reduce net migration and are taking steps to reduce pull factors to ensure migrants come to the UK for the right reasons.
	The Government considers that migrants should make a positive contribution to the UK, and should not be a burden on local services. That is why we have controls on access to benefits and social housing for temporary non-EEA nationals and EEA nationals not exercising treaty rights. The Government continues to honour its commitment to provide compulsory education for children, whilst it also ensures that immediately necessary and urgent medical treatment is never withheld from any migrant, even if charges apply, and that treatments which protect the wider public's health are free of charge to all.
	With regards to education, we are spending £5 billion by 2015 on creating new school places—this includes almost £1 billion put aside to create new school places in the areas under the most pressure. While we cannot predict levels of migration, we are working with local authorities to ensure funding is targeted exactly where it is needed so every child is able to attend a good or outstanding local school. Schools are funded according to the number of pupils on roll regardless of a pupil’s background or status.
	Other Local Government funding is based on measures of local need, incentives for growth, house building and service transformation.

Iraq: Chilcot Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the rationale behind their decision to withhold from the Chilcot Inquiry records of conversations between Tony Blair and George W Bush during their respective periods in office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and President of the United States.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the total costs of the Chilcot Inquiry so far; and what is their current estimate of the date when the Inquiry will report.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Chilcot Inquiry has had access to all the records of exchanges between Mr Blair and President Bush that are relevant to its work. Discussions on the disclosure of these documents are continuing.
	The total expenditure incurred by the Iraq inquiry, from its establishment on 15 June 2009 to 31 March 2013, is £7.4 million. The inquiry’s practice is to publish its expenditure after the end of each financial year. Sir John and his colleagues aim to submit their report to the Prime Minister at the earliest opportunity once the “Maxwellisation” process, by which those subject to provisional criticism are given the opportunity to make representations, is complete.

Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 19 November (HL Deb, GC 400), what steps they are taking to encourage British Muslim leaders and clerics to clarify and confirm the peaceful nature of the Koran, the Hadith and the Sunnah.

Baroness Warsi: As I said on 19 November this Government supports the role that faith plays in British society, particularly when different faiths come together. Our Integration policy includes programmes that strengthen mutual understanding and, as part of this, Muslims have participated in an outstanding 95% of Near Neighbours projects, drawing on their religious requirement to work for the common good. Additionally, through The Big Iftar this year British Imams and Muslims across the country opened their doors to non-Muslims to share evening meals together. The Big Iftar culminated with the Prime Minister’s visit to Manchester's Jamia Mosque in August and the Government will continue to support initiatives that show there is no contradiction between being British and Muslim.
	This Government also recognises the importance of involving a wide range of people and organisations from the public and private sector in its work to tackle extremism and terrorism. Prevent continues to work with and through the faith sector, which we recognise has a unique role to play in reaching out to young people at risk of radicalisation and addressing claims made in the name of religion by apologists for violence. The Home Office funds a number of community resilience projects across Prevent priority areas which aim to amplify the positive community response to extremism and a positive, peaceful view of Islam. These projects include establishing networks through engaging with mosques and community leaders, and providing training as well as funding for products like leaflets and websites.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the Israeli military’s use of live fire against students within Al Quds University on 17 November.

Baroness Warsi: Whilst we have not made representations on this specific incident, the UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our concerns over the manner in which the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) polices Palestinian protests, including the use of live fire.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Israel about allegations of mock raids and arrests by the Israeli army affecting civilians in the West Bank; and whether they will press for such allegations to be investigated and anyone found guilty of misconduct to be disciplined.

Baroness Warsi: We have asked officials at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and British Consulate-General in Jerusalem to look into these allegations. Once we have further information, we will decide whether to make representations to the Israeli authorities.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed with the government of Israel the night-time arrests of Palestinian children and their transfer to interrogation and detention centres in Israel; what replies they received; and what has since been done to implement improvements in the treatment of such children.

Baroness Warsi: Officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv have frequent discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue, most recently with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 21 November. The British Ambassador to Tel Aviv wrote to Israeli Minister of Justice, Tzipi Livni, on the subject in June and again on 14 October. Minister Livni has undertaken to look into our concerns and has outlined some steps taken. In September this year the Israeli Defence Force central command agreed to pilot summons of children in two areas of the West Bank, in lieu of night time arrests.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding reported differences in procedures and conditions for Israeli and Palestinian children arrested by Israeli authorities for equivalent offences.

Baroness Warsi: We have made repeated representations to the Israeli authorities on the differences in treatment accorded to Palestinian and Israeli children arrested for equivalent offences. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv discussed this most recently with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 21 November. We will continue to encourage Israel to adopt recommendations from the independent 2012 report “Children in Military Custody” and UNICEF’s 2013 report “Children in Israeli Military Detention”.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the West Bank such as the confiscation of humanitarian aid and the prevention of access to communities in need of emergency assistance.

Baroness Northover: We are concerned at reports that the Israeli military authorities have blocked the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank. Where humanitarian aid is needed, Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to facilitate the work of humanitarian relief schemes. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised this issue with the Israeli National Security Adviser and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with other European Union governments regarding the development of a co-ordinated European Union response mechanism to address the demolition of European Union-funded infrastructure projects in the West Bank.

Baroness Warsi: The British Consulate General in Jerusalem has regular discussions with a number of our European partners on the issue of demolitions of Palestinian properties in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Those discussions are focussed on how to prevent demolitions, including through lobbying of the Israeli authorities and by supporting improvements in the planning regime.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the decision of 3 November to authorise tenders for construction of settlement units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Baroness Warsi: The Minister of State, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson) raised the issue of settlements with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister during his recent visit to Israel from 4-5 November.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements, if any, have occurred this year in the treatment of Palestinian children arrested in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in particular concerning access for their parents and legal representatives, for the recording of interviews and for independent investigation of complaints.

Baroness Warsi: We welcome some positive steps taken by the Israeli authorities this year with respect to treatment of Palestinian child detainees. These include Military Order 1711 which came into effect in April 2013 and which reduced the time children can be detained before seeing a judge. In September 2013 the Israeli Defence Force agreed to pilot the use of summons of children, instead of night-time arrests. We continue to press for further improvements.

Justice: Legal Fees

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in order to prevent law firms from circumventing the ban on referral fees imposed by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of the Offenders Act 2012 by forming alternative business structures or using collective marketing schemes.

Lord McNally: The ban on the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases is an important part of the Government’s reform agenda, and the establishment of Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) or collective marketing schemes is not a way to get around this prohibition.
	ABSs allow for increased competition and the provision of more cutting-edge services, helping to lower costs whilst maintaining high standards. This is a strictly regulated area and any ABS is required to comply with both the rules of its licensing authority and the law in respect of the ban on referral fees. The Government is monitoring the operation of the ban and is confident that if it became apparent that a firm’s business model was not compliant, the regulator would deal with any breach appropriately.

Magna Carta

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are giving consideration to the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta being declared a national holiday.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government plans to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta in June 2015, and is currently working to develop a coordinated programme of government-led activities.
	The Government has no plans to create a new public holiday to commemorate the Magna Carta. The pattern of Bank Holidays is well established and accepted. The most recent Government estimate of the cost to the UK economy of a bank holiday is £1.2bn. This cost would have to be borne in mind if there was a move to create a new public holiday.
	Overall plans to commemorate the Magna Carta are being coordinated by the Magna Carta 800th Committee of the Magna Carta Trust, an independent organisation chaired by Sir Robert Worcester. The Ministry of Justice keeps in close contact with the Committee.
	The events to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta will be eligible for the new Anniversaries Fund announced by Culture Secretary Maria Miller on 1 October. Over the next 4 years at least £10m from the Heritage Lottery Fund will be invested to support projects marking some of the United Kingdom’s most important anniversaries and commemorations.

Museums and Galleries: Foundling Museum

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Coram has now completed the changes it was directed to make by the Attorney General and the Charity Commission in respect of the independent governance of the Foundling Museum; and, if not, what action they have taken.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: Charities are regulated by the Charity Commission. The Commission has put forward its analysis of the governance issues to both the Coram Foundation and the Foundling Museum charities. The charities are now in on-going discussions with each other about necessary changes to the governance arrangements which may now be required.
	The Attorney General also has various functions in relation to charities which he exercises in the public interest on behalf of the Crown as parens patriae. The Attorney General has not made any recommendations to Coram.

NHS: General Practitioners

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether patients over the age of 75 years will be able to choose their designated general practitioner or whether one will be allocated to them.

Earl Howe: The most appropriate general practitioner (GP) will be assigned to each patient aged 75 and over based upon individual needs. Each practice will need to determine the most appropriate way of allocating named GPs to their patients.
	Doctors have a professional duty to listen to, and respond to, patients’ concerns and preferences. Where the patient expresses a preference as to which GP they will be assigned, the practice must make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request.

Overseas Aid

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the cost to (1) each United Kingdom citizen, and (2) each household, of the overseas aid budget, including sums administered by the European Union, in 2014–15 and 2015–16.

Baroness Northover: DFID’s budget for 2014/15 and 2015/16 is set out in the published document ‘Spending Round 2013’
	(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-round-2013-documents).

Overseas Territories

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what date all the Overseas Territories will have signed up to the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters.

Baroness Warsi: The extension of the UK’s ratification to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters came into force for Montserrat on 1 October 2013, Turks & Caicos Islands on 1 December 2013 and the Cayman Islands on 1 January 2014. It will come into force for all other Territories with financial services industries on 1 March 2014.

Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to reduce civilian casualties in Palestine.

Baroness Warsi: We seek to end civilian casualties by supporting current efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the meantime, we frequently make representations to the Israeli authorities about the use of live fire by the Israeli Defence Force leading to civilian deaths and injuries, including when policing protests in the West Bank and the buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.

Parliaments: European Parliament

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of the European Parliament and of the implications for national parliaments of any increase in its influence on the legislative process and policy initiation.

Baroness Warsi: The noble Lord will note that in his speech of May 2013 in Berlin, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), set out his view that “The European Parliament plays an important role in holding European institutions to account. It can play a very positive role, as it has along with Commissioner Damanaki in the current reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy. But if the European Parliament were the answer to the question of democratic legitimacy we wouldn’t still be asking it. I think instead that the solution lies in promoting the role of national institutions in European decision-making – because ultimately it is national governments and national parliaments that are accountable to our electorates. They are the democratic levers voters know how to pull.”

Passenger Name Records

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 20 November (WS 56) regarding passenger name records, what measures they will put in place to monitor the passenger name records arrangements with Canada to ensure that the records are used only for the purposes stated.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The European Union agreement with Canada on Passenger Name Records (PNR) is subject to strict data protection safeguards, outlined in the Home Office Explanatory Memorandum, dated 7th August 2013. The agreement requires Canada to implement regulatory measures to protect PNR data against inappropriate processing or loss and these are subject to oversight by an independent public authority. The agreement is also subject to a joint EU and Canada review to assess the implementation of this agreement one year after its entry into force and then at regular intervals after that.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 19 November (WA 200), why the Department for Work and Pensions does not record or obtain such information about the largest private sector defined benefit or final salary pension schemes and their current membership.

Lord Freud: The Pensions Regulator acts on DWP’s behalf and collects information on individual schemes to fulfil its statutory functions. Aggregate information is published in the Purple Book including information on defined benefit schemes on an annual basis.
	The report can be found at the following location:
	http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/purple-book-2013.pdf
	Information on individual schemes and lists which rank pension schemes is not provided as the information is restricted under section 82 of the Pensions Act 2004.
	As provided in previous responses, the Office of National Statistics publishes estimates of the number of members of different pension schemes each year in the Occupational Pensions Scheme Survey. The link to the latest reports is provided below:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/fi/occupational-pension-schemes-survey/2012/index.html

Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British emergency services personnel have been deployed to the Philippines to assist in rescue and recovery.

Baroness Northover: In response to Typhoon Haiyan, the UK originally deployed a medical team comprised of 12 NHS staff. This includes:
	• 3 Emergency physicians• 2 Orthopaedic surgeons • 1 Plastic surgeon• 2 Anaesthetists• 2 A&E nurses• 1 Theatre nurse• 1 Physiotherapist
	The team was later complemented by one specially trained paramedic.
	The original team has now left the Philippines, and has been replaced by another team of six specially trained NHS staff, currently based on board HMS Illustrious. This team includes another paramedic.

Romania

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Romania concerning the proposed removal of the Order of the Star of Romania from Bishop La´szlo´ To?ke´s MEP.

Baroness Warsi: The British Government has not made any representations to the government of Romania regarding the status of the Star of Romania honour awarded to Bishop La´szlo´ To?ke´s. This is an internal matter for the Romanian authorities.

Russia

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Russia regarding the Bolotnaya Three.

Baroness Warsi: Senior officials raised concerns about the Bolotnaya protestors during the most recent UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue in May this year. We have also raised the case through the EU, including at the 2013 EU-Russia Human Rights consultations. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Minister for Europe, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), regularly raise concerns about human rights and the rule of law with their Russian counterparts. We will continue to follow developments in the Bolotnaya cases closely.

Schools: Exclusion

Lord Quirk: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between exclusion from school and subsequent incarceration; and what plans they have to make relevant changes to the present exclusion policy in the light of any such assessment.

Lord Nash: Exclusion is one of a number of factors that correlate with entry into the criminal justice system. The Government’s exclusion policy reflects the importance of good behaviour in supporting educational attainment, a key predictor of future life chances. Statutory guidance on exclusion is already clear that permanent exclusion should only be used as a last resort. We are, however, trialling the benefits of schools retaining greater responsibility for permanently excluded pupils and will consider the policy implications of the next interim report, due in spring 2014, and the final report, due in spring 2015.
	We have already taken action to improve the education that excluded pupils receive; for example, by allowing high quality providers to open as alternative provision academies or free schools; 36 providers have so far taken this opportunity.

Television Licence Fee

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much revenue was raised through the television licence fee in each of the last three years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The table sets out how much revenue was raised through the television licence fee in each of the last three years.
	
		
			 Year Revenue raised through the Television Licence Fee 
			  £m 
			 2010/11 3,679 
			 2011/12 3,698 
			 2012/13 3,706

Television Licence Fee

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the annual cost of collection of the television licence fee in each of the last three years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The table sets out the annual cost of collecting the television licence fee in each of the last three years.
	
		
			 Year Annual Cost of Collecting the Television Licence Fee 
			  £m 
			 2010/11 124 
			 2011/12 126 
			 2012/13 111

Television Licence Fee

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much television licence fee remained uncollected in each of the last three years.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The table sets out how much television licence fee remained uncollected in each of the last three years:
	
		
			 Year Television licence fee remained uncollected (cost of evasion) 
			  £m 
			 2010/11 202 
			 2011/12 211 
			 2012/13 209

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for judicial review of the Secretary of State’s planning decisions under sections 288 and 289 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, where there has already been an appeal to the Secretary of State or the Secretary of State has taken a decision on a called-in application (other than where the failure to fund such a challenge would result in breach or risk of a breach of the legal aid applicant’s European Convention on Human Rights or European Union rights) were made in the latest 12-month period for which the information is available; how many of those applications were successful; and what was the cost of legal aid in respect of those applications.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: During the 12 month period to 13 November 2013, 134 statutory review challenges were issued in the High Court of planning decisions under Sections 288 and 289 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 of call-in or appeal decisions.
	Of these, 40 cases have been successfully defended, 79 have not yet been determined, five claimants were successful at substantive hearing; and on 10 cases the Government consented to the decision being remitted for reconsideration.
	Of the five challenges issued that were successful at substantive hearing, one claimant was legally aided; information is not held on the cost of that legal aid.
	The information on statutory review challenges is derived from the Treasury Solicitor's Department's data, from which it is not possible to identify legal aid costs.

War Memorials Trust

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they have provided to the War Memorials Trust.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: English Heritage, an Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has provided a range of support for War Memorials Trust including through the recently announced plans for identifying further war memorials to be considered for statutory listing. English Heritage has contributed £299,000 towards the operational costs of the War Memorials Trust since 2004/05 and provided funding for the War Memorials Online website.